Improvement in windmills



UNITED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

A. GIRAUDAT, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

uuPRovEMENi IN WMINDMILLS.

i Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 31,798, dated March 26, 1861.

To all whom, it may concern: l

Beit known that I, A. GIRAUDAT, of the city, county,` and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Wind-Vheel; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which Figure 1 represents a plan or top view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, taken in the plane indicated by the line sa Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference in both views indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in the arrangement of radially-sliding hinged sails, in combina-v tion with swinging weights suspended from the ends of the arms in such a manner that by the action of the centrifugal force of said weights the wings are moved toward the center of the wheel whenever the force of the wind exceeds a certain point, and that the speed of the wind-whcel is therebyregulated.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation with reference to the drawings.

The sails A A A2 A3 are suspended from rods B B by means of hinges a, which are secured close to the edges of the several sails. The rods B B have their bearings in standards b, which rise up vertically from the horizontal arms C C of the wind-wheehand they are so arranged that they turn freely in these standards without, however, being allowed to move in a longitudinal direction. The hinges a are loose on the rods B B', so that the sails are free to slide in a radial direction and that they can turn round on said rods, their rotary motion being limited by the arms C C.

In order to cause both sails on each of the arms C C' to turn simultaneously in opposite directions, levers D D are iirmly secured to the rods B B', said levers being situated between tlie hinges a and catching into loops o, that are attached to the backs of the sails, extending over their whole width, so as not to interfere with the radial sliding motion of the sails. The levers D or D', attached. to the rods B or B', are placed at right angles to each other, so that if the wind blows in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, the sail A is turned down flat to the wind, being held in the proper position by the arm C, and at the same time the sail A2 is turned up edgewise into the wind, so that it offers the least possible resistance to the motion of the wheel. If the wheel turns a little way from the position in which it is represented in Fig. l, in the direction of the arrow marked upon it, the force of the wind on the back of the sail A3 causes that sail to turn up edgewise into the wind, and at the same time the sail A is turned down flat, so that its surface is eX- posed to the force of the wind. By these means the wind-wheel is caused to rotate always in the same direction and the sails are compelled to preserve their relative positions toward each other and the proper position toward the wind no matter what the direc tion of the wind may be. rlhe sails are kept close to the ends of the arms and rods by means of weights d, which are suspended from cords c, attached to the inner edges of the sails and passing over pulleys f, in or near to the outer ends of the arms C C. The weights d are guided by hooked rods g, which are attached to the ends of the arms, and from which the regulating-weights E are suspended. The lower ends of the hooked rods g connect with the` inner edges of the sails by means of cords h, which pass over pulleys@` in the arms C C and near to the center of the wind-wheel, and said hooked rods are connected to the arms C C in such a manner that the same, with the weights, are free to oscillate in a radial direction.

The weights CZ and E are so proportioned that under ordinary circumstances the strain exerted by the weights cl is sufficient to overcome the centrifugal force of the weights E and to keep the sails close to the outer ends of the arms; but if the speed of the windwheel exceeds a certain limit the increased centrifugal force of the weights E causes the same to fly out in a radial direction, thereby exerting a strain on the cords 7i, which causes the sails to move toward the center of the Wheel. By these means the sails accommodate themselves tothe force of the wind and the Wind-Wheel maintains a uniform speed.

Having thus fully described my invention,'

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The arrangement of radiallysiiding hinged sails AA A2 A3, in combination with swinging Weights d' E, constructed and operating in the manner and for the purpose set fort-h. 

